Formal Complaint Regarding Our Experience with Norse Atlantic Airways…read more
I want to share the horrific experience my wife and I had while flying with Norse Atlantic Airways from Rome to New York, a flight of approximately nine hours.
My wife is six months pregnant, and as you can imagine, sitting for an extended period of time has become increasingly uncomfortable for her. I had originally purchased a Premium ticket because I was extending a business trip, and my wife decided to join me. As a result, she was traveling on a regular ticket and was seated toward the back of the aircraft.
Before boarding, we spoke with the staff at the gate and were given the option to upgrade to Premium, which made us aware that there were Premium seats available. Once I boarded the aircraft, I explained our situation to the flight attendants. I specifically explained that my wife was six months pregnant and would likely become increasingly uncomfortable during the nine hour flight. I asked whether, if there were unoccupied Premium seats after takeoff, she might be permitted to move up so that she could be more comfortable.
Instead of showing any understanding or compassion for the situation, the flight attendants immediately focused on charging an additional $350 for her to move to Premium. At the time, there appeared to be approximately 6-8 unoccupied Premium seats. I understand that airlines have policies regarding seating and upgrades, but the complete lack of flexibility or consideration for a six month pregnant passenger was extremely disappointing.
The flight attendants also pointed out that I had a Premium seat while my wife was seated toward the back. I explained that this was originally a business trip and that my wife had decided to accompany me. They then suggested that I simply switch seats with her which, ironically, was exactly what I had intended to do all along. I had simply hoped that the crew might show some compassion and allow my pregnant wife to sit in one of the clearly available Premium seats if the seats remained empty after takeoff. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
Immediately after takeoff, I switched seats with my wife.
A short time later, I wanted to check on her because I knew she was becoming increasingly uncomfortable from the swelling and pressure associated with sitting for such a long period of time while pregnant. As I attempted to walk toward the front of the aircraft to check on her, I was stopped by the flight attendants and told that I was not permitted to go to the front.
I simply wanted to check on my pregnant wife and make sure she was okay. Rather than showing any understanding, the flight attendants became increasingly stern and unprofessional. I was ultimately given three options:
1. Return to my original seat in the back.
2. Pay an additional $350 to upgrade.
3. If I did not accept either option, they threatened to involve the authorities.
I found this response completely disproportionate to the situation. I was simply trying to check on my six month pregnant wife during a nine hour international flight.
The situation became even more disturbing a couple of hours later. Because we had left our respective bags at our original seats so that we would not have to repeatedly disturb other passengers, my wife came to the back of the aircraft to check on me and retrieve something from her bag. As soon as she did, a flight attendant yelled at her and ordered her to return to her seat. Shortly afterward, the same flight attendant followed her to her seat and told her that she had better have gotten everything she needed from her bag because she would not be permitted to leave that section of the aircraft for the next eight hours.
The flight attendant spoke to my wife in an extremely rude and aggressive manner and threatened that if she got up again, the authorities would meet us at the gate. My wife was so upset by the way she was spoken to and threatened that she began to cry. This was particularly disturbing given that she was six months pregnant and was simply attempting to retrieve an item from her own bag and check on her husband. Her food was also with me in the back, and she was unable to access it even though she was pregnant and hungry. In addition, we couldn't eat the plane food because we keep kosher, so the food was a necessity for her. We were essentially prevented from even checking on or assisting one another because we were seated in different cabin classes.
The entire flight crew was made aware of the situation, and I was treated as though I had done something seriously wrong simply for trying to make sure my pregnant wife was okay. I was effectively singled out by the crew for the remainder of the flight. There was also no Wi-Fi available, meaning I could not even message my wife to check on her.
This experience was deeply upsetting and completely unacceptable. What should have been a straightforward situation involving a pregnant passenger who was becoming